


Dark Horses

by Alley_Walk (AlleyWalk_writes)



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Blood and Violence, Casteism, Dryads - Freeform, F/M, Gen, M/M, Scoria - Freeform, Supernatural Elements, Wraith Hounds, fae
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-01-22 20:57:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21308497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlleyWalk_writes/pseuds/Alley_Walk
Summary: All the races of the world were pathetically brought to their knees by the Wraith Hounds, soulless fucking creatures made of shadow that can appear in any dark space. Towns were ravaged, with many precious items and magic relics lost to the destruction. It was a bloodbath. Finally, all of the races, instead of staying apart as they had always done, banded together. And together, they finally found a fucking solution.The end.There, are you happy now?What, I have to keep going?*sigh* Fine.Centuries later, all of the races are back on their feet and living in inglorious harmony, while The Black Order selects children with promise from a young age and trains them to be Warriors and to fight and defend against the Wraith Hounds.However the defenses can't hold forever, and nothing is as it seems. Not to mention that a certain beansprout is just the enemy we're supposed to be fighting against...
Relationships: Kanda Yuu & Alma Karma & Lavi & Lenalee Lee & Allen Walker, Kanda Yuu/Allen Walker, Lavi/Lenalee Lee
Comments: 12
Kudos: 24





	1. Awake

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, y'all!
> 
> So this is a new fic of mine that I hope you will all enjoy. I've decided to do things a bit differently this time around, and post chapters scene by scene every few days or so. I'm a pretty slow writer, so I think this fits me more and can also give me a bit of a buffer when it comes to chapters. The first couple will be a bit short, as I hadn't decided this until then, but don't worry, the other two I've got finished are much longer!
> 
> Just a disclaimer that this fic will have debates about morals, as well as racial discrimination, including against people of color. (Though for different reasons than you would think). This discrimination is simply a plot device and in no way effects how I see people of color, (also a disclaimer).
> 
> Enjoy! ^^

**dark horse**

_ /ˈdärk ˈˌhôrs/ _

A dark horse is someone who people know very little about that emerges to prominence in a certain situation, especially a competition among multiple rivals or where the contestant would be unlikely to succeed.

* * *

Hunger. Hunger.  ** _Hunger_ ** _ . _

Its paws make no sound as it runs down the stone corridor, jaws slavering as it pursues its prey. A growl rips free of its throat as its prey turns on it, spear in hand. The spear jabs towards it, but Joker ducks low and then springs forward so its body weight causes the human to slam bodily onto the floor. It tears through the fabric of the human’s coat, its fangs cutting through flesh and muscle, the taste of succulent flesh bursting on its tongue. It gulps it down, ignoring the human’s screams. It can feel the beautiful life beating from within the human, and it craves it. 

Silver flashes in the corner of Joker’s eye, and it dissolves into mist just as a sword swings right through its head. It catches a glimpse of long hair and furious cobalt blue eyes before it flits as fast as lightning down the corridor, entering a wide stone chamber. The chamber has high arching ceilings and is vast in size. But that isn’t what interested Joker. Planted on the floor of the chamber are odd heart-shaped leaves with a soft white glow, pulsing with their own inner lights. Feeling oddly drawn to the leaves, Joker materializes its body. It trots in the rows between them, padding by ones that don’t feel quite… right. 

And then it finds it.

A plant with a soft white glow, small yet healthy, veins glowing with a gentle blue-grey light.

It wants it. It wants it so badly that it hurts.

Stepping forward, Joker leans down and bites the plant off at the stem.

And swallows it.

The world suddenly seems to brighten around Joker, vivid and alive as it had never been before. Dreams and ideas and possibilities enter its mind that it had never considered before, the whole world opening up around it as it – he? – takes in this new world and these new ideas. 

And then he remembers.

And Allen wakes up.


	2. Deflect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen is confused.
> 
> Oh, and he makes some friends(?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! 
> 
> Here we are with the next chapter! ^^
> 
> Thanks to everyone who commented and kudos'd the first chapter. I didn't really expect to get such a good response for so little word count, but I guess writing the summary from Kanda's perspective will do that for you. ^^
> 
> No trigger warnings that I can think of, so enjoy! ^^

The first thing Allen remembers when he wakes up is pouncing on a Warrior with blond hair and brown eyes and feasting on his flesh. He frowns. That can’t be right. He shifts and finds he’s lying on a cold stone floor, and his eyes quickly snap open, taking in his situation at a glance. He stumbles to his feet, careful to avoid stepping on the precious Bōrei Leaves that were practically the life’s blood of the trade between the Dryads and the rest of the world.

And Mana had been a Dryad, so it was best that he try not to ruin that.

Wait… 

‘Had been?’

Allen looks down at himself, and his blood runs cold. His uniform is ripped and tattered to pieces, the warm blood staining his front seeping into his underclothes and sticking uncomfortably to his skin. His lips taste of blood and he swallows, quickly wiping his mouth on his sleeve. The palms of his hands are also covered in blood, and he looks down at them with a frown.

Just… what had happened?

Why couldn’t he remember?

The wolf ears on top of Allen’s head prick as several rapid sets of footsteps come barreling down the hallway to his left, a male voice shouting, “it went this way!”

Well, whatever’s going on, I don’t want to be caught off-guard. 

Allen draws his sword with a soft rasp of leather against steel, grabbing his bagh Nakh from his belt pouch and fitting his fingers through the knuckles, the four small forward curving blades an oddly welcoming sight. He stands facing the opening to the cavern, sword raised in a guard stance. Three Warriors come racing out of the entranceway, and Allen looks them over as he readies himself for… he doesn’t know what. 

The first is a human girl about Allen’s age with dark hair in a ponytail and focused purple eyes. Her weapons are elegant black steel boots that go up to her knees and black and silver steel gauntlets. She wears black shorts rather than the usual pants of the Warrior uniform, so Allen assumes it must be custom made for her. The second person is a Fae like Allen, though higher up on the social hierarchy due to the pure pale color of his skin, and Allen feels a flash of resentment towards him. He has vibrant strawberry red hair and one glowing emerald green eye, features that can only be brought about by Fae blood. The other eye is covered up with an eyepatch, most likely an injury of some sort. He has folded over cuneate ears the same color as his hair with a fluffy tail that’s wagging hesitantly, an easy smile on his face despite the warhammer held firmly in his grip. 

Allen’s tail wags slightly in response, and he scowls. 

And the third person is-

_( - a flash of silver_

_cobalt blue eyes burning with fury - )_

Allen’s head swims with pain as he looks at the Dryad in front of him. He has cobalt blue eyes, his petal-like hair like silken feathers as they fall down his back like a midnight blue waterfall. Even from here, Allen can smell the faint scent of flowers. He holds his katana like it’s an extension of his arm, and Allen tenses.

“Where is the Wraith Hound? Did you kill it?” The human girl asks, her eyes sharp.

Wraith Hound…?

Everything suddenly makes a sick sort of sense, and it’s a struggle not to throw up right on these strangers shoes. 

“Yes, it’s dead.”

_Because I’m alive._

_Again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we learn a bit about the Fae, and a bit about the Caste system. I'm going to be introducing those elements slowly overtime, as other things need to happen and worldbuilding takes time.
> 
> And Allen makes friends... sort of? 
> 
> Don't worry, he'll get to know them better later. ^^
> 
> And yes, I am a sucker for people with animal traits. You can blame the RWBY fandom for that one. (Though obviously there aren't going to be any of the ridiculous tropes that come along with things like this, as they don't fit into the story and I also just really, really dislike them).
> 
> Anyway, see y'all next chap!


	3. the waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanda teams up with the rabbit as a necessary evil, and Lavi worries himself to death before being distracted by a Fae beansprout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! 
> 
> Sorry for the wait, I've recently been working on a new fic. It's also pretty AU, if you're interested in that. ^^
> 
> It's called Skin Walker, and can be found on my profile or in the recent listings for DGM. *shameless plug*
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Lavi stares down at the book in his lap, eyes not really registering the pages. Worry gnaws insistently inside his gut, and he has to restrain himself from glancing towards the door to the healing room where one of the town’s resident Healers, Marie, is currently in the process of using his Anima to save Link’s life. They had found Link bleeding out in the hallway, limbs sprawled awkwardly like a puppet whose strings had been cut, and it had only been for Lenalee’s Wind Animus that they could tell that he was still breathing. Alma had picked him up and then slithered to the surface with all the Speed they could muster. 

They had pursued the Wraith Hound that had savagely attacked Link but they had been beaten to the punch. Lavi had to admit a little jealousy that the impure Fae had killed their target before they could, but he had to admit he was well suited for the task. Where he had found a Celtic Sword when they had disappeared from the world hundreds of years ago Lavi didn’t know, and he was way too stressed to find out.

Lavi and Kanda had tried to barge in on the healing room where they were keeping Link, but Lavi had been stopped by a nervous yet determined Healer-in-training who had closed the door in his face with the click of the lock. Lavi had turned the doorknob all the way around until, with his advanced strength, it broke. But the door had refused to budge, something blocking it from the other side. Kanda, who had been waiting impatiently behind him with his arms crossed, snarled, “oh, fuck this!”

And then he’d kicked the door in.

The resulting outcome of terrified Healers-in-training turning to face them while several Healers broke off with sharp eyes and a green glow suffusing their hands would be either amusing or terrifying if it wasn’t for the group of fully-fledged Healers clustered around a healer’s bed, their hands hovering over the body within, the green light so bright it was almost blinding. Just like that the light stopped, and Lavi didn’t miss the grim and exhausted looks on their faces. Link had looked so small then, so pale, like he was fading away. Then the various Healers-in-training had determinedly – though nervously – pushed them out of the room. Lenalee had noticed by then and apologized on their behalf, sending each of them scolding looks as she did so. Though she did ask, in no uncertain terms, that they be informed of Link’s condition as soon as possible. 

The endless waiting chewed at Lavi’s insides. The uncertainty. The  _ not knowing. _ It was agonizing, the certainties and uncertainties bouncing around inside Lavi’s brain, the possibility of death knocking right outside Link’s door.

“Hey,” says a male voice, and Lavi blinks as he resurfaces from the depths of his own mind. The boy sitting next to him about his age, with the deep brown skin of an impure Fae. He has white hair cascading down to his shoulder blades, soft and downy like the breast of a bird, much like Lavi’s own hair is. He has white wolf ears that are perked slightly as he meets his eyes, his tail curled up on his seat. He has glowing blood red eyes and an angled scar over the left side of his face that’s the faded pink of an old scar, the scar twisting like a knife when he smiles.

The Healers had given him some standard patient clothes to wear despite him being covered in blood, a fluffy robe-like gown that went down a little past his knees and buttoned up at the side, with leggings that went down to the ankle. Lavi had been in those sinfully soft patient robes many times before, probably more than was healthy, and he had to say he resented not being in one of them instead of his ripped and bloodstained jerkin and his uncomfortable vambraces, the skin of his forearms slick with sweat from where they were trapped beneath the metal. 

“Excuse me,” the other Fae says again, and Lavi can see the annoyed expression on his face. It quickly melts into something like amusement. “Do you get lost in your thoughts often?”

Lavi looks down at his clasped hands. “Only in times like these.”

The white haired Fae nods, and Lavi knew from the expression on his face that he understood. “I see. Well, I never did get your name.” He points out.

Lavi jumps on the conversation like the distraction it was. “Lavi Bookman. You?”

The other Fae smiles politely. “Allen Walker.” 

He doesn’t say “nice to meet you,” which is good because despite him seeming like not that bad of a guy, it really, really wasn’t considering the circumstances.

But… 

Lavi lifts an eyebrow. “Of the House of Walker?”

Allen’s eyes widen in surprise, and he quickly shakes his head with a laugh. “No. I’m no Noble.” Looking down at himself, Allen grimaces. “And I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go take a bath to get rid of all this blood.”

Accepting the change of subject, Lavi considers for a moment. “Alright. There’s a bathhouse nearby, and I wouldn’t mind a change of clothes.”

Allen smiles. “Then, let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kanda and Lavi teaming up like that out of concern for a teammate is something that I believe might happen in canon. Lenalee probably would have been right there with them under normal circumstances, but she has a bit more responsibility in this fic. ^^
> 
> Also, is that foreshadowing I spy?
> 
> Nah, must just be a bug on the windshield.
> 
> Anyway, see y'all next chap for every author's mandatory bathhouse scene!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dog Fae, a wolf Fae, and a Dryad go the bathhouse.
> 
> The Dryad finds the wolf Fae to be amusing, the wolf Fae is hostile while subtly trying to figure out if he's being poisoned, and the dog Fae just wants everyone to get along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all!
> 
> Got a new chapter for you all, as promised. Sorry for the lateness, I've been working on two new consecutive fics (why brain, WHY?!), but this one is still a priority, so here you go.
> 
> No trigger warnings that I can think of other than, of course, nudity. (But it's not really described in any way and is mostly left up to your own imagination, so no worries there).
> 
> Enjoy! ^^

The Dryad, once he hears their plans, insists quite aggressively on coming along with them. Allen doesn’t object, despite the fact that the guy is quite an arsehole. They all stop by the barracks to get them both some clothes, Lavi promising that Allen can borrow some of theirs. 

The barracks have changed since the last time Allen saw them, and rather drastically at that. Instead of being bed after bed lined up in a single large room in a row, there were now individual rooms for each five man squad. Allen couldn’t say he disliked the change. 

Discharging Allen from the Healers Hut had been surprisingly easy considering he had only been a patient for all of three hours, but apparently recovering from his “state of shock” was enough for them to release him. Allen isn’t sure what that means, but it probably has something to do with the changes to the barracks and the fact that the Healer’s Hut is significantly larger than he remembers and is now called a hospital.

Allen carefully doesn’t think about why that would be. 

Lavi soon emerges with a change of clothes for all of them and a strained smile, Kanda stalking by with a scowl on his face, and they head off towards the bathhouse.

Allen had been too dazed to look around the city before, but now he takes in the sights. Shops with large glass windows line the streets, the cobblestone path firm beneath Allen’s feet as he and Lavi make their way through the sparse crowd, all of them parting around Lavi like the red sea while Allen and Kanda wisely trail behind. He goggles at everything around him, simply because everything is so different. The buildings are more advanced, sleek and stylized. Allen bets  _ these _ roofs never leaked. But what awes and confuses him are the variety of shops before him. Some are familiar, such as two Smithy’s that seem to be in competition with each other and a Thrift Store that’s selling just as low quality clothes as Allen is used to, but some are decidedly different. What in the name of Sun and Moon is a Boutique? He sees a few clothes hung up artfully in the window, however, and he’s awed at how beautiful they are. 

But the variety still gets to him. In his memories, there were ten stores in each town as well as a few inns, and that was all that was needed. And now there’s a store with hundreds of books lining a shelf on each wall, shops that have the smell of freshly baked bread or roast duck over a fire. In one shop, Allen sees a man  _ getting his hair cut _ by a total stranger! 

And not to mention the magic. The whole circumference of the city is lit up and radiant with light, the very center pulsing and luminous with power, that power blooming outwards like the petals of a flower. There’s not a shadow to be seen, in fact even the people around them cast no shadow. Even with the nighttime sky hanging above them, the moon and stars shining brightly above, there are no shadows.  _ And so, no Wraith Hounds _ , Allen thinks. He takes a breath, tasting the magic in the air, old and powerful. Not at all like the magic that had been set up by the Fae in just a few major cities years ago according to Allen’s memories. 

Just how much time had he spent as a Wraith Hound?

The bathhouse is a stone building that has two rooms for each gender, with a sign carved above the entrance of the female bathhouse of a Fae with long hair, and a sign above the male’s of a Fae with short hair.

Allen feels almost insulted.

The first thing that hits Allen about the bathhouse is the warmth. The air of the vast chamber around them is warm, most probably from the large pool of steaming water in the center of the chamber. There are stone walkways all around the pool, with shelves filled to the brim with mysterious elixirs. There are several other people enjoying the bathhouse as well, all identifiably male, and Allen has the self-conscious urge to check to see that the spell that had transformed him into who he truly is hadn’t somehow reversed.

Lavi walks down the stone walkway and Allen follows despite his desperate need to wash himself off. But he needs to keep an eye on Lavi and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. He’s sure Kanda can handle himself for a while. Lavi seems to be perusing the shelves, and Allen sniffs, catching many different scents from the elixirs, some good and some unbearably chemical smelling. Lavi picks two containers of elixir that both smell oddly of coconut and a bar of soap, and Allen does the same, picking two containers that smell a bit like citrus. He eyes the strange containers dubiously, but as ever most of the strange symbols elude him. 

But with the bar of soap he can hope that they’re meant for washing. 

Hopefully. 

Disrobing alongside Lavi while carefully not looking at the pure Fae, Allen sets his weapons and other miscellaneous items at the edge of the pool and steps in next to Kanda, sitting down on a stone ledge that sinks him up to his chin, his aching muscles relaxing under the warm water. Lavi steps into the pool and sits down on Kanda’s other side with a pleased sigh, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. 

The first elixir Lavi takes has a container that’s as clear as stained class but more pliable under one’s hand. Tapping the container’s cap three times in quick succession with his fingertips, magic shimmers around the cap before it disappears. Then Lavi pours some of the elixir into his hand and puts it  _ in his hair. _ Allen watches in horror, waiting for his hair to fall out or his skin to bubble and bleed or for Lavi’s fingers to jump off his hands and do a little dance.

…Allen might know a little  _ too much _ about elixirs. 

But Lavi just scoops some water into his hands and pours it onto his head and over his ears, and then begins scrubbing his hair, rubbing the soap carefully over the outside of his ears. Once soap bubbles begin to appear, Allen relaxes. Allen considers either the safety of the soap or the unknown of the elixir, before he decides that avoiding it won’t make it go away. He does decide to at least scrub the blood off first, snatching up the bar of soap and thoroughly scrubbing at the dried blood on his stomach, chest, and hands. 

For some reason, he doesn’t feel any cleaner.

Grabbing his own glass-like bottle and holding it gingerly, Allen taps the top three times in quick succession, just like Lavi had. He tastes the Fae Anima this time, the magic sweet on his tongue as he pours some of the orange colored elixir into his hands and puts it in his hair. He scoops water onto his hair and then starts scrubbing.

He glances over at Lavi, who has a contemplative look on his face, and at Kanda, scowl firmly in place with his arms crossed over his chest as he absorbs the water around him. Ducking his head one last time to get rid of the orange elixir, he grabs the other one and starts running his hands through his hair like Lavi is. The tangles part like magic, and Allen looks at the elixir with new respect, and subtly tucks it away into his hip pouch. He turns back to see Kanda looking at him with a raised eyebrow and an amused quirk of his lips. Allen scowls at him, daring him to say anything. Kanda just smirks, amused, and turns away.

“A copper for your thoughts?” Allen asks Lavi, completely ignoring the arsehole sitting between them.

“Only a copper?” Lavi teases.

Allen smiles mischievously. “Well I’m a bit low on money right now.”

“I needed this,” Lavi confesses, “I was worrying and worrying, but in the end there’s nothing I can do. It’s all in the hands of the Healers and all we can do is wait and hope.”

Kanda snorts. "Isn’t that obvious?”

Allen frowns. "Maybe it's obvious to you, but that doesn't mean it's obvious to everyone." He points out, not liking the bite in the other man's tone.

"That was also obvious to me," Kanda says, and he was smirking. 

_ That-! _

Allen leashes his temper before it can explode out of him, possibly in a lot of yelling and possibly by the first throw of a punch. Kanda is stressed, they both are. It's better if the two fellow Warriors take it out on him than on anyone else.

He just hopes that the other two are more restrained. 

"So, I've been meaning to ask. Where did you get that Celtic Sword from?" Lavi asks, his eyes keen with interest.

Other people in the baths who heard perk up too, and Allen can hear their surprised murmurs.

"A Celtic Sword-?"

"But they're rare, aren't they?"

"Not just rare, they've been lost for centuries!"

Allen swallows hard as he realizes that he's made a rather large misstep. "It was a family heirloom." He says, the words tasting like sawdust in his mouth.

"I'll give you 250 for it!" A man yells.

"350! Gold." A different one barters.

"400!"

Soon their voices are all clamoring over each other, ringing in Allen's oversensitive ears. So much that he almost misses a person snag his sword as he walks past. Allen stands up out of the water, his eyes blazing. He holds his hand out, and his sword twists itself out of the man's grip, flying straight into Allen's hand with the ease of long practice.

And as the thief ran and Lavi laughed and Kanda smirked at him, Allen decided that the distraction had been a success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not actually sure if the magical-special-weapon! is a Gary Sue trope or not, but if it is then hopefully I can make up for it by making Allen be as IC as possible. 
> 
> And yes, Allen is trans and transitioned through a spell in this fic. He of course doesn't know what the word "transitioning" is, so I tried to make my point come across in a way that still made sense, and also wasn't insulting in any way.
> 
> Anyway, see y'all next chap, where we get a Kanda POV and certain things fall into place.

**Author's Note:**

> So that happened.
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> Comments? 
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> Screaming at me to get the next chapter out?


End file.
